Gluasad circles
by Chaol-the-pitiful-potato
Summary: Lucy had always wondered if her extraordinary habit of getting herself into some peculiar form of trouble would ever bring her to the face of death. She was proven horrifyingly right when a series of unfortunate events transport her to Dragnof, the realm of Dragons. Oneshot. NALU.
1. Chapter 1

For real y'all I literally just felt like sitting down and writing a 17w one shot, it's a pretty otherworldly experience.

I hope you enjoy this story and if you don't that's alright too.

So, it's safe to say I don't any of the characters, Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and God bless him for it.

* * *

_And for all the lifetimes I have lived without you may they perish at the face of our union in one alone._

-•-

**_Part I_**

She was going to kill Evergreen. No qualms whatsoever.

That green wannabe Medusa was going to find a death worse than being dipped in a pool of boiling liquid iron.

Lucy hid behind the bush and humans would generally say that's the worst place to do but hey a fae is gotta do what she can do to survive.

Even if the odds declared the opposite.

The breathing space she had for a short time, hiding from any who realised her presence and was trying to capture her. It gave her a while to remember exactly how she got into this position.

And for the record, it wasn't her fault.

It all began one week ago when Ever-fucking-green found her essence.

An essence is what makes the magic of a fae. At least the type of magic they commanded. For example, a water fae would find her essence in the first drop of rain or the furthest depth of an ocean or in a mineral water bottle, the kind humans use.

Every race had its kind but faes were different. Very different. For Faes, two days were the most important ones in a Fae's life. The day they were born, from the first laugh of a newborn and the second was when one would find their essence.

Because that's when their life really started.

Many Faes wouldn't find their essence until they grew a few hundred years, some would find it in their first fifty. Until they would find their essence, they would have to be interns and could use small magics under the guide of their mentor. Until then they have to be in Intern quarters, each quarter had about nine interns and was scattered all across Magnolia.

Lucy had been an intern for six thousand five hundred and seventy-eight years. And Evergreen who was born hardly a decade ago found hers immediately.

_It was not fair!_

Evergreen being Evergreen, of course, waved her essence (which was a spectacle, her magic was eye magic, able to petrify anyone. Hence the term wannabe Medusa) right in front of Lucy's face out of the god-given bitchy attitude she had. She had always hated Lucy's guts and was a crappy person in general.

Lucy, however, knew that deep down Evergreen was a nice person, there were rare moments of it but even deeper down, she was still a bitch.

"Aww, Lucy, see I got my essence, it feels so good to be out of this shithole honestly." Evergreen had said, before stopping abruptly and looking at Lucy like she was some human, "oh but how would you know, Lucy. You've been here for so long right?"

"Ever, cut it out." Levy, another intern said.

Lucy didn't even feel the need to answer, Evergreen's blunt statement had hit close to home so she just took off running without looking back. Interns weren't supposed to cross the threshold of the quarters and Lucy accidentally enraged and a little more than broken crossed it.

Which resulted in her being punished by the Fae Superior of her quarter.

"Lucy, I really don't like doing this, especially since it is you," Eclair said, the crystal ball shining a glint lower in the corner of her room.

The blonde simply nodded nonchalantly.

Punishments were harsh, Lucy was to have no contact with anyone for a month and she was to stay in the Wayward Woods in this duration.

_It's not fair._ A small voice whispered in the bleak of her eyes.

_C'mon old mum,_ she thought to herself, _knock it off, how long are you going to sulk like this?_

Lucy took a deep breath, finding hope even though she was standing in front of an old rickety cabin that seemed to have creepers hanging and propping out of the side making Lucy wonder how old this house exactly was.

She walked inside and made herself comfortable before wondering if she should grow a few chocolate sunflowers or sedums in the garden. The trees around her had already begun to show brightly green and that made Lucy smile.

Maybe it was okay if she didn't find her essence after all.

Little things in life made it worth it anyway.

Lifted to a more jovial mood, Lucy began to furnish her cabin. God, which woebegone creature even lived here? She removed the creepers that were in a disgruntled mess, raising her hands as tips of her finger released magical waves damping the ugliness away.

That's when she saw a white circle of twirled mushroom tops, without thinking and out of severe curiosity only she touched it.

And the world turned around before Lucy could blink twice.

When she did, her heart glazed cold.

_No way._

And a crackle of the burning fire was heard.

_No fucking way._

The faint smell of ashes clouding around her.

_God help me._

With a swish cutting the winds, a red dragon flew above her.

It didn't notice her as she regulated her breathing in half fear and disgust. Dragons were mortal enemies of Fae, it went both ways and their enmity wasn't the loud kind, no, no fae would admit to being impolite to any creature even if it was a dragon. But Dragons... .they _preyed_ on Faes.

Sure. The animosity between the two lay in the differences of their race.

No Fae would ever do a good turn of kind heart to a Dragon

No Dragon would ever suffer the loss of feasting over a Fae.

Which is why Lucy realised she was quite in a pickle here. Imagine a Fae lost in the Dragon realm.

By the looks of it, it seemed like that she had just touched a Gluasad circle, nasty things really. They are known for transferring you to places you would never go willingly and only take you back to where you are from when you've gained something substantial.

She never knew how a Gluasad circle ever looked like because she was daydreaming in Miss Porlyusica's Pixie studies class( for which she received detention and a proper earful from Eclair)

But this was the worst possible way she could get to know how it looked.

God, she wished she hadn't touched that thing.

Lucy looked up to the dragon who was circling around what she presumed was its territory. She looked at her Fae form, they would know immediately if she stayed in it any longer, heck they would smell her out, drag her down by her wings and claw her heart out or at least that's what she heard they did to wayward Faes.

Lucy groaned this couldn't possibly be her life.

But it was and now she had to deal with it. The more time she used in bickering and wailing at her fate, the more time she lost.

She looked at the emerald ring on her hand, the first she had ever made with her magic. She kissed it and hoped for luck

"Hey, you!"

She snapped her head at the sound and was greeted with the sight of a human. No, a dragon in its human form.

And Lucy realised its brows were made of Iron. You're kidding me, she thought with a sigh. Lucy put her hand on the trunk of the tree, willing it to do the biddings of her silent command.

"I'm sorry I was lost," Lucy spoke out loud.

"I can see that, bunny girl."

"Bunny girl?"

"You sound like a bunny girl, human."

_Huh_, Lucy thought.

"You say I'm human like you're not."

Gajeel grinned, baring his canines, heavy footsteps crisply sounding as he approached her hiding place.

"Cuz I'm not."

"Well, that's good." Lucy stepped out of the bushes in her Fae form. "Because I'm not either."

Gajeel's eyes widened with familiar suspicion rising in them before he could move to probably capture her, a twig that had been wrapped around his leg swung him up and about and he was looking at her in reverse.

"Look," Lucy gestured gracefully, "I didn't mean to do this—"

"But you did, Fae."

"Yeah, cause otherwise you'd kill me or do whatever it is that humours you Dragons these days." She shrugged as if it justified everything.

"You couldn't have known that!" He protested trying to get the twig to unwind.

"Oh umm, you were going to behave civilly and have a merry drink with me is it?" Lucy asked, drily.

"No." He replied just as coldly.

"Umm, listen err . . .what's your name?"

"Gajeel Redfox."

"So Gajeel, look I accidentally come here, really didn't wanna for obvious reasons but I gotta find a way back home." She paused taking in the doubtful look in his face. "No, I'm not plotting against your race—"

"And yet I find you in the private territories of my realm."

Lucy jerked her head up, genuinely surprised. "These are . .err uh, private territories?"

"Yes," Gajeel said, folding his hands as calmly as he could with being upended.

"And if you've heard anything about us Dragons then it comes true in the form of one who owns these territories."

Lucy clenched her teeth. Luck. What fucking luck.

"Mr Gajeel Redfox, I did not mean to offend you in any way except that which uphold my self-preservation. I apologise for the inconvenience caused." She bowed her head politely before she turned.

"Hey! you can't just leave me here."

"I apparently can," Lucy said.

Gajeel had to stop for a moment, he had never seen a Fae for all his blessed life but now that one was before him he found that he was short of words, _are all of them this beguiling?_ He thought in dismay. She didn't seem like she was lying because he could find a liar as natural as he could find iron. So she was saying the truth. Something about Bunny girl inspired a feeling in him, was it pity or was it mercy?

_Her innocence? Could it still be that pure?_

"Run, little Fae." He said out loud, catching her unaware.

"I won't pursue you but I can't speak on behalf of others residing in my realm, I could give you a heads up but that's the most I could offer because I will report this." He stated and Lucy turned swiftly to face him, eyes widening in gratitude.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She said, smiling thankfully before raising her hand stretching the tips of her fingers as she elevated uttering words that sounded like a melody to Gajeel and she was done.

"What did you do?" He asked, confused.

"I blessed you for your good turn done unto me." Lucy waved at him, "See you later, iron eyebrows."

_She blessed me?_ He thought with a daze before snapping out of it.

"Who do you think you're calling iron eye—"

"Gajeel, where the hell are you?" a quiet and squeaky voice called out.

"—I'm here!" He looked back to where Lucy was standing and she was gone before another word was uttered.

"Gajeel, not that I have questioned your abilities of simply being weird but honestly, do you enjoy hanging upside down from a tree?" Sol asked raising a brow.

There were many cruel kinds of dragons but Sol was straight up an asshole. What Igneel even saw in him to appoint him as the manager of the guards was beyond him.

"And where is he?"

"Salamander was in the skies the last time I saw him."

"Huh, alright." Sol nodded, looking upwards.

"Oh, by the way, our borders have been infiltrated."

"What?!" Sol asked, "why didn't you say so before?"

"You didn't ask me," Gajeel said, crisply.

Sol quick on his heels, ran back to most likely to inform the patrolling guards and knights.

Gajeel watched his retreating form before he caught a glint of a red wing withdrawing from the terrain of the skies. He should get to him quick enough.

_Now,_ Gajeel thought curiously, _how the hell am I gonna get out of this thing?_

-•-

Lucy looked around in the market, she had draped herself in a hooded dark cloak, the warm woollen kept her warm only for so long. Dragon markets were different than she had initially imagined them to be, they were just like the Fae ones she had seen during occasional weekend trips. All of the people surrounding her were in their human forms- obviously because shops weren't built to accommodate eleven-foot dragons- which made her comfortable enough to think that she would perhaps manage to get away without being noticed.

_Maybe there wasn't much difference except that the people here,_ Lucy thought looking around the shops lined orderly with colourful varieties of clothes, food and objects selling, were much rawer as compared to the Fae counterpart.

She shook her head.

She needed to find her way out and possibly more information on Gluasad circles, a library would be ideal at this point so she entered the first one she spotted.

Stark heights of the books that seemed to go on endlessly on the endless shelves. Her heart yelped of joy at the smell of ink and paper, smiling her heart out before she recognised the place around her.

"Is there anything you're searching for in particular?" A woman behind the counter asked, her hair tied in a red bow, "I'm Laki, the librarian and wood designer, is there any way I can help you?"

Lucy blinked before answering, "A book on Gluasad circles?"

The woman raised a curious brow.

"Third aisle, shelf no 6, the third book on your right."

"Umm, thank you," Lucy said, before marching to the instructed place.

A book bound in emerald green covers, the velvet would have seemed so satisfying if Lucy wasn't in a situation that triggered her existential crisis.

_Gluasad Circles are peculiarities in our age. They appear on the will of a whim and vanish as if they commanded its own existence although in rare cases if the magical outlet is strong enough then it can force a Gluasad circle to open to command. While these creatures tend to be very mischevious, they actually exist for a purpose__—_

"Which is to get me killed or mutilated," Lucy muttered.

_—__they help an individual find an object, idea or even a person of substantial gain in their life. For instance, the Great Queen of the Mermaids was once transferred in the form to a world of Phoenixes, where she would meet her beloved__—_

"Yeah, lol, sure. I'd rather not have a beloved at all." She rolled her eyes before going back to reading.

_—__Usually, they find such things in the duration of a day precisely from when they first touched the Gluasad circle and if they have strong magic, when it is time to go, the same Gluasad circle appears to take them home._

Lucy shut the book close.

Well, she found a way out so all she had to do was wait and try not to get eaten as a side dish to the dinner of a dragon.

_Huh, that should be easy right?_

"Oh have you heard?" a voice from the shelves behind her said as Lucy held her breath.

"No, what?" another voice perched in a satin asked.

"They say he has returned."

"He as in who—oh, oh my stars, he has returned from that quest, oh, our warrior has returned home."

"Yes, he was seen flying over the Northern hills." The voice said, smiling coy. "God, I can't find one person in this world who'd resist touching those glossy scales."

Lucy almost blanched, _for real?_ She thought. half confounded and half weirded out, _y'all have a thing for glossy scales? Ah well, must be a Dragon kink then?_ She shook her head, _let's not get there._

"Indeed. Do you think my Rafaella could bag him?"

Bag him? As in the trophy kind? Lucy already felt sad for the poor soul.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Esmeralda. Dragneel is said to not be intrigued by female or male around from here."

"What a pity. My Rafaella would be such a match for him."

"So it would seem."

Lucy shook her head, not that she had any business eavesdropping.

She walked through shelves, tenderly covering all parts of her as she thanked the librarian for their service before leaving.

"Wait," Laki said.

"I've not seen you from around here, are you new to Dragnof?"

"Umm, yes." Lucy replied, "I'm a uh a baker."

"Oh is that so ?!" Laki reaching out to Lucy's arm who sharply stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I don't like people touching me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that you're the exact kind of person I was looking for."

"I am?" Lucy asked, wondering how pathetically miserable her luck could be.

"Oh yes, umm your name?"

"Luna Heartley."

"Oh, not a very conventional name huh?"

Lucy almost felt like taking all the books in the library and dumping it on her own head, if only stupidity had a contest. Jeez, that name had sounded more Fae like than her own self.

"But that's not the point. It's just that I'm in huge trouble. Help a fellow dragoness out will you?"

The blonde raised a brow which in Dragon language must have meant consent because she was dragged out of the library by the arm that was still thankfully clothed.

"So my friend returns today. So of course, he has a welcome party and everything is fixed except for his favourite food which is Angel food cake."

"Your friend likes human food?" Lucy said.

"Yes. So you know how to make it I presume?" Laki asked, clapping her hands in satisfaction.

"Yes," Lucy said because she actually did, three thousand years gave one enough time to take personal cooking classes, both human and fae.

"Amazing. Wait here, please." She smiled before calling out loudly, "Mira!"

And Lucy wondered what kind of a chaotic mess had she invited herself to.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" The silver-haired woman whispered to Laki.

"Yes, Mira. Plus we could always make her take the traditional first bite to make sure it's not poisoned." And then with thought carefully put, she continued, "Really, Mira, we don't have time."

Mirajane Strauss stared at the woman cloaked darkly from the top of her head to the edge of her toes before she took a deep sigh. "Alright."

"I have a small favour to ask though," Lucy whispered loud enough for them to hear. "May I please be left alone when I am making this cake? I will take the first bite of every cake I make to swear I have no ill will towards you or your family."

Mira cocked her head to the side, the request sounded genuine enough but she would hold her to her word.

"As you wish," she shrugged, "I'll give you three hours before the kitchen doors open again."

"Mira. Where are you? It's hardly a nice way to greet a friend you haven't seen from ages." A masculine voice called out, breaking into the temporary defences that Lucy had put up.

"Natsu!" Mira ran out to jump into the arms of the person who owned the voice as Lucy turned away, her back facing them as Laki went to greet the dragon.

"Natsu, it's been so long!" Laki grinned as he ruffled her hair up and his gaze slipped into the kitchen, landing on a cloaked figure.

He took a deep breath, muscles sinking at the scent that seemed to be faintly cast into the air, almost bewitching. "Who is that?"

Laki followed his line of sight leading to the kitchen and she felt like there was something amiss.

"Secret!" Mira said, reaching out for the door handles.

Listening to the conversation reduce in its volume, Lucy felt an irresistible urge to turn around so strong that she had to, she had to glance over her shoulder and just before she did, the doors shut close.

She stared at it a little longer thinking_ what was that?_ before snapping out of the haze, after all, she had a cake to bake.

-•-

Natsu Dragneel was resting himself in an unconventional position on a comfortable chair, staring at the bleak in the high ceilings and the chandeliers that hung down from them. Now, that he had survived the worst of monsters and accomplished the quest which brought him great power, honour and glory, he wondered what he was to do.

He had heard there were some troubles brewing in the borders, illegal trespassing and then there was this thing with the Goblins. But those were things he could deal with later.

Funnily, though he had found rest the moment he stepped into Mira's place.

"Why aren't you dressed?"

"I don't want to," Natsu whined and he absolutely cherished the fact that Mira would let him if it was Erza, she'd plainly chuck the closest thing at him.

"Natsu, this party is for you."

"Something which I actually do not need."

"But we do since it's to celebrate your victory, the victory of our warrior."

Natsu looked at her, "Jeez Mira, the things you make me do. I doubt anyone else can force me to a party."

"I'm fairly certain Erza can."

"Well, Erza can make anyone do anything she wants them to do."

"Point but I suppose you'll find someone who'll make you want to do things just to see them happy." Mira grinned at him, patting his head lightly.

"Ugh, Mira, no, I have just returned. Please don't send me on those horrid things you call dates."

"Natsu, how else will you have anything in relation to your love life?"

Natsu rolled his eyes, "I don't—"

"Are we talking about Dragneel's non-existent love life? Cause that's a discussion I wanna be a part of." Gray said, interrupting the flow of a conversation with intrigue on his face.

"Shut up, asshole."

"Hey, who do you think you're calling asshole?!"

"Your lame ass obviously—"

"Is that an invitation to a fight, Fire brain?"

"You bet your life it is—"

"Boys!" Mira chided but it took the effect of squashing water. A hand on her shoulder silenced her, she looked at Gajeel with a brow raised and he gestured to Erza who had just entered.

And Natsu or Gray accidentally threw a vase at her direction which did not miss its aim.

The silence that followed was deafening and a roar was heard about three seconds later.

Mira shook her head.

Really, what kind of people had she adopted into her family?

An hour later, the ostentatious banquet had been prepared for and a highly agreeable people gathered wrapped in dramatically detailed fabrics. The candlelit hall glowed in resplendent shine, the whole occasion had been impressively organised, of course, it was Mira after all. Her event planning skills were practically the mark of a legend. In the human world, they would rival Gatsby's.

And for all the glamour, all these parties had, Natsu could never hold a candle to his reflection in it.

He stayed in the balcony, looking out to the Northern hills, he always assumed his home was there, in the skies that encompassed them in particular. But he failed to draw comfort even from there.

"For someone who the entire party is dedicated to, you sure look lonely," Gray said, carrying a plate of Angel food cake, "Mira asked me to give this to you."

"Shut up and thank you," Natsu said, taking the plate.

"Why aren't you out there?" Gajeel asked, joining them.

"Don't feel like it."

"Huh, well." Gray said, not knowing what to say to that and it didn't look like Natsu wished to talk about it either so he went in favour changing the topic. "Speaking of not liking things, Gajeel there was a border breach today?"

"Ahh, yeah. A Fae."

Natsu's interest piqued.

"A fae? In Dragnof? Were they suicidal or was there a plot?" He said, using the fork to cut out a light piece of the cake.

"Neither but I didn't have much time to inquire because I was hanging upside down from a tree because Faes are annoying that way and then Sol found me and immid-"

Gray choked on his drink as Natsu chuckled.

"—wait a minute, a Fae hung you -the great, mighty, impenetrable Iron Dragon of the Metalicana house- upside down. From a tree?"

"Damn fucking hell, I can't believe I missed that." Natsu mourned.

A vein popped at the side of Gajeel's head.

"It. Is. Not. Funny."

"Sure, mate."

Natsu gave a dismissive nod to him and continued to eat the cake and he almost stopped all movement as he tasted it. Vanilla in faint tones and hints of sweet almond flooded his senses, no Angel cake he had eaten was that fluffy and light, sweet without being distasteful. It felt warm and incredibly nice.

"Who made this?"

"I didn't."

Natsu stared at him consequentially.

"Tch. I'll go ask Mira."

He stopped, remembering the cloaked figure in the kitchen and the recollection of that lovely scent.

"Never mind, I'll do it myself." He waved off and hurriedly walked into the banquet only to collide into someone drunk enough to spill all of his drink on Natsu's robes. Annoyance washing up in waves, he glared at the man before he continued to search for Mira.

"Natsu," Laki exclaimed. "Where are you rushing to?" She looked at the leftover on his plate.

"Oh, did you like it?"

"Laki, where is the person who made this?" Natsu said.

"Oh umm, she left. Pretty girl with blonde hair, her name's Luna Heartley. Why do you ask?"

He sighed with relief, a name, he could work with that.

He'd find her.

"You ought to go change your robes, though." Laki suggested, "at least before Erza or Mira spots you."

He smiled, tired.

"Thanks, Laki. But I think I'm retiring for today, it's been a rather stressful day."

"I understand, I'll handle Mira, but knowing her, she would most likely understand too. Erza on the other hand,"

"Yeah no worries, I'll reach my room quicker than you could blink."

Laki blinked.

"You're still here."

Natsu laughed before he walked up to his room.

He entered his room, brightly lit in fires around the corners and an ambience of shimmering gold and orange hues that warmed the air surrounding it. Natsu removed his robes and after a quick shower, he wore his nightclothes before yawning and it was when he noticed an aureate object on his night table.

Ahh, the keys.

When he had initially duelled a powerful goblin during the course of his Quest and won against him, he was allowed to pick a few things as his keepsakes for his victory. While he had Gajeel pick anything he likes, there was something about these lustrous keys the blinged right at him.

He thought it was special but then again he was a Dragon, by virtue of his race, he was attracted to pretty shiny things and hoarding them.

Natsu dropped them at his night table and plopped himself onto the bed next to it, he commanded all the fires to go out from the lamps in his room and a fall of darkness drowned his room except for the little candle on his bedside table.

And he would have most definitely fallen asleep had the tiniest creak of the door not woken him up.

_What the hell?_ He thought, anyone who knew him respected him enough to not enter his room unannounced and those who didn't wouldn't dare.

But he couldn't hear any footsteps, it was too quiet. Even his dragon sense couldn't pick anything up.

Natsu didn't act upon it until a hand reached out, not to him but the keys next to him.

_For real?_ He thought, stealing the property of another dragon was quite literally an invitation to a fight unto death, whoever this dumb kid was in for a miserable sad time.

And just as it clasped its fingers around the keys, Natsu caught its wrist earning a gasp from it and pulled it closer, an emerald ring gleaming at him.

Well, shit.

The illumination from the candle gave light to the face of his offender.

Striking brown eyes, like freshly turned earth after summer rains, they stared at him in part fear and part surprise. Her face was far too captivating to be possessed by a Dragoness and that's when Natsu realised, she wasn't a Dragon at all.

"Who are you?"

-•-

"You're a blessing if you must know." Laki appreciated, smiling widely at Lucy who nervously shuffled her feet. "These cakes are so delectable, it would be an honest sin not finish the entire thing in one sitting."

"That's too high of praise," Lucy said, dismissively.

"Oh, but I must give you something, in gratitude of course."

"Umm," Technically it was traditional of Faes to accept gifts from people who they did a good turn to but Lucy was on the opposite spectrum of traditionality.

But Laki didn't seem to be taking any explanation. She simply asked Lucy to follow her and Lucy did.

The room was quite an old one and God alone knows what it had, a lot of sparkly things attracted Lucy's attention but she paid no heed to them. She couldn't risk getting her cover blown.

Laki opened a cupboard and the sound of a drawer being pulled materialised as Laki procured a silver-coloured badge with engraving embedded upon it.

"The goodwill of the Strauss household rests upon you, anytime and anywhere you seek protection, it will be offered to you by every member of our house."

Lucy's eyes widened.

"This is seriously not necessary. I understand that you'd like to thank me for my services but a simple thank you will suffice."

"Absolutely not. You will not be disrespected or dishonoured in our house."

Lucy giggled uneasily.

This had to be the most ironical situation she had ever been in.

"It's not that I'm being disrespected or dishonoured-"

"-Luna, please!"

Lucy was confused at the name mentioned for a moment before she realised.

Laki pinned the badge on the left-hand side of her chest, it sat well on the hoodie and made Lucy feel terribly guilty.

"Umm, Luna if you don't mind, can I see your face?" She asked and Lucy stiffened, fearing what she might think.

After some thought and consideration, Lucy removed the hood, revealing her face which still looked in its human form. Laki's silence was almost deafening to her ears before she broke it.

"You're beautiful."

"Uh thank you? Okay, I really need to leave, Miss Laki." She smiled before bowing low and turning hastily she walked out of the room.

"Goodbye, Miss Laki."

Lucy touched the walls right after she left the kitchens, "May this household never see a setting sun that does not bring them comfort and hope." and then she released a protection spell bounding on every person in the house.

It was the least she could do.

Lucy was going to leave before she heard a familiar voice.

"—is that an invitation to a fight, Fire brain?"

"You bet your life it is.

And immediately hid as she heard a vase break. To her utmost surprise, Gajeel walked out with Mira. The streak of coincidences was going to blind her by this point.

"They're such kids."

"Not that I intend to offend," Gajeel shrugged. "But it's Natsu and Gray after all. What'd you expect?"

"Good point. Umm, Gajeel could you keep these keys in Natsu's room, the last room from the right on the second floor."

"Ahh yeah, okay."

Lucy felt it before she saw it. The call, for what she had waited for three thousand years of her life, her purpose calling out to her, beckoning her to reach out to her essence. The golden keys invited her to stake a claim. Lucy bit her lip before removing clouds of hazy desire to possess her, she had to wait until she could retrieve them into her possession. Now, it all made sense, the Gluasad circle had sent her to finally find her essence.

She looked back at the room and heard them still engaged in fighting. Without looking up to either of them, she flicked her wrist and all pieces of the vase integrated back into its initial state and it stood on the table as if nothing had happened.

Lucy stayed long enough only to hear them say in bewilderment,

"Hey, wait a minute wasn't that broken?"

She left until it was a better time to return, perhaps amidst the banquet when everyone would be enjoying their wines and conversation would be a good time.

And so Lucy waited, as quietly as she could.

When it was time, she slipped across corridors from the backdoor and kept chanting, second floor, last door on the right. It wasn't tough to find it at all, and judging from the lights that didn't seep outside she assumed it was safe to traverse into uncharted territories.

The keys lay on the bedside table and soundlessly she headed to it, failing to notice the figure in the be next to it.

She felt a chill of excitement wondering what her magic would be like and she even picked it up only to have her wrist grasped by another hand, drawing her closer.

Lucy didn't mean to exaggerate but _holy shit!_

Her gaze fell upon a pair of dark eyes, bottomless like the ocean would seem to be dragging her into them. A powerful glare embedded in the way he was staring at her, she had to take a deep breath to normalise, he was too close for her liking, she could feel warmth making her drowsy enough to feel safe.

"Who are you?"

And Lucy snapped the hell out of it.

"Who are you?" She repeated, amusing him.

"Natsu Dragneel. You're in my room and you better give me a good reason why I shouldn't burn you to crisp right now."

Lucy had to look away, she stared at the keys in consideration.

"I'm a Fae."

That loosened his grip on her wrist which she used to snatch away and move four steps back.

Natsu stared at her absurdly before it started making sense to him, the vase, the cakes, the breach at the borders.

Lucy couldn't ever do awkward silences.

So she coughed gaining his attention.

"Mister Dragneel, I'd really like to chill around for a while but like I need to rush so," She bowed elegantly and bid him goodbye, "after a while, crocodile."

And she ran out of the room.

That's when Natsu realised she had stolen his property.

"Hey, wait!"

God damn it! She was fast on those nimble feet.

"Jeez, stop following me, creep." She yelled back.

"Then stop running away with my keepsake!"

"No, can't do."

Lucy sprinted like the wind, Faes were quick on feet. She was already on the roads and the idiot was still chasing after her, look if he thought she was going to give up her essence after three thousand years because it's some weird trinket then oh boy, was he in for a surprise.

She made things fall in his path as barriers but Natsu was swift enough to avoid them, agile like he was trained in combat.

_Well,_ a small part of her said, _he is their warrior._

_You're not helping!_ She uttered back.

People moved away in intrigue and questioning, they ran for quite some time, enough for her to realise that there were trees all around now.

Lucy finally stopped.

"Wait." She said, huffing and puffing, as she leaned against a very familiar tree.

"I can't run for so long."

"Yeah, no shit." Natsu glared, crossing his arms being a little out of breath.

"Look, I didn't mean to run from you-"

"-oh but you did a damn good job at it, didn't you?"

"Don't be rude, asshole,"

"Says the person who stole from me."

"Not that I meant to, I can't help it."

"I don't care. Return it to me now."

"Fuck you."

"Get in line, little bird." He rolled his eyes and Lucy jaw dropped, this absolute piece of shit.

"God, if you don't sound like those human jocks hitting puberty."

Natsu stepped forward, "Look Fae, we can sort this out, you return to me my possession and I'll take you to Igneel and we can peacefully go our separate ways, okay?"

Lucy felt magic channelling through the keys and that's when she observed a very familiar circle of twirled mushroom tops.

She looked back at Natsu, grinning like the world was hers to conquer.

He arched a questioning brow,

"Sure, I'll answer that question when you find me again." She smiled, mischievously.

"That is, of course, if you find me," Lucy said.

"What the hell—"

"Also, just so you know Natsu Dragneel, you're an annoying jerk."

Lucy touched the Guasad circle before Natsu could blink she vanished and it was as if he was merely conversing with the wind.

He stared at the place she had been only a moment ago and there lay a forgotten blue ribbon.

_Well,_ a part of him said as he picked it up, _let's see how far she'll run._

* * *

Hi. Just dividing chapters here.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Part II_**

_| • • • • |_

Dark green trees that had a cold thawing stillness and the mockingbirds singing to the lonely grey skies before the dusk had even begun to settle was what Lucy came back to.

She took a deep breath.

Lucy's fingers tenderly brushed over her wrist, grasping at straws to feel the warmth that had been there a few moments ago.

She stepped out of the rickety cabin that was still the same as were the flowers she had planted just yesterday. The night sky now emerged in a dark canvas with stars gleaming like it would on a Midsummer's night.

"Lucy! There you are. I've been searching for you all day!" Levy said, appearing from the corner as Lucy furrowed her brows.

"Umm, Levy I'm still on punishment and—" Lucy stopped herself, she looked at Levy who was staring at her blankly.

"Lu, it's been a month already."

"What?!" Lucy asked incredulously.

"Yeah, when we sent someone to bring you back but they didn't find you so I came here to look for you." Levy said, concerned. "Lu, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all." She replied.

Levy wasn't convinced but bless her, she didn't press it.

"Oh Lucy, those are pretty. Did you make them?" She pointed towards her keys.

Lucy looked at her keys and a dam of emotions that she had been caging broke.

"Levy," She said as a tear ran down her cheek, in pure bliss and happiness.

"I found my essence."

Levy's shock and elation at her friend's joy were hardly limiting as she enveloped her in a breathtaking hug. "I'm so happy for you, Lucy."

"Thank you."

"But where did you find it?"

Lucy examined her friend closely, she could surely trust Levy with this right?

"Oh, I stole it from a dragon."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah, that kinda happened, Lev."

"Wait," Levy said, "you met a dragon?"

"Dragons," Lucy gently corrected, "I was sent into Dragnof, the realm of the dragons."

"How?!"

Lucy smiled to the night skies, it really did feel like a dream in the night of Midsummer. She wondered if he would find her or if he would even attempt or would she ever know even if he did. Well, even if he did she doubted things would ever change.

_Huh,_ Lucy thought as she realised that she probably would never see any of them again.

She chuckled.

"It's a long tale."

-•-

Days passed as months did, as five of which had gone by so quickly that everything had fogged Lucy's mind because she had spent most of her time practising her magic, day and night she concentrated her magic upon summoning her spirits as they were called now and battling them with precision and she just got better every time.

She watched Lucy as she was patrolling.

Lucy joined her palms, pointing her fingers downwards to the earth. She opened her eyes, flowing in a golden light and the fae circle appeared around her.

"Fairy blade!"

A thousand flames travelled around her, exploding in sparks and meanwhile destroying about everything that came within two hundred meters. And out of the dust, Lucy emerged on her feet like a goddess been through war and back.

Lucy had made this quarter her home, she had refused to leave to the world outside the perimeters though she made make daily trips out there. Now, she just stayed here and helped Eclair with anything that needed help.

Of all people in the quarter, it made Eclair the happiest, seeing Faes finally acquire their essence was a joy to watch. She was proud of Lucy for the kind of fae she made of herself, although Lucy insisted that it was merely because of Eclair she was what she was but watching her become a fine fae folk was quite the delight.

Eclair simply shook her head as she made rounds of the perimeter and continued her way to her office.

An eerie feeling jumped her bones as she got closer to the handle, _was someone in there? _She thought.

She opened the door to find no one but call it a hunch or an attribute of her fortune-telling magic or whatever but something was lurking in the corners.

Eclairs muttered an uncloaking spell, nothing happened, nothing that had been unseen was translated to visible. Perturbed, Eclair chanted a protection barrier.

She went down for the nightly assembly before everyone went to bed.

All of her students stood lined in the Ionad Hall where the usual prayer was said and Eclair would have to announce any important notices. For now, there was only the Winter Ball to think about, it all proceeded normally.

"-And as for the Winter Ball, where all quarters send four of their representatives, the ones selected from the Magnolia quarter will be announced tomorrow with-"

"Ummm, Headmistress?" A trembling voice sought her.

"Yes, Miss Cors?" Eclair raised a brow at her as she registered fear on the faces of her students.

"B-behind you the-there's a-"

Eclairs turned around to find a man casually sitting on one of the high window's sills.

It didn't take her a second to make an estimation.

"Dragon."

She must have been scared or at least appeared that way because it earned her a grin from him, he jumped down the way a person trained in combat would.

"Natsu Dragneel, at your service."

"If you were truly at our service, you wouldn't appear unannounced, creature of fire." Eclair quipped, defensively.

"Fair enough," Natsu said, considering her. "So a student of yours has stolen a not-so-important possession of mine for which I have obviously come for."

"If it's not-so-important possession, why has it dragged your legs on our grounds?"

"Well because it's a part of my hoard even if not quite special and I'm not sure what kind of an example a dragon if I didn't fight my way through for its retrieval."

Eclair narrowed her eyes before thinking, _I__ trust many of my students__—_

"Umm, Eclair," Lucy called out as she came in the doors without looking up from the book in her hand.

"I was wondering if you had a few drops of cinnamon oil." She said before noticing it was far too quiet for the number of students that were there.

Lucy looked up and found a profound difficulty in breathing as she set her sights on the man before her.

"Hello, little bird," Natsu smirked, victoriously.

She swallowed a knot in her throat. "Headmistress Eclair, send the students back to bed, please."

The brunette stared at her before co-operating and leading the students out of the Ionad Hall into their respective dormitories until the last intern was out, Lucy remained a watchdog to the door.

She looked back towards Natsu and sighed.

"What do you want?"

"I don't know you tell me. Or maybe we can start at the part why you infiltrated our borders."

"For the last time, I did not infiltrate your borders. I was transported there by Gluasad circle, not by my own will."

Natsu raised a brow, crossing his arms.

"And why did you come to my house, deceive my people and then robbed me of my—

"Trinket?" Lucy asked, drily.

"Your trinket—" She continued as she collected her keys from the side of her belt. "—happens to be my essence. I bear no ill will but only death will separate these keys from me."

His eyes sought hers out. "You aren't lying."

"I'm not."

"Well then since I can't harm you because you have been honoured in my House." He said mindfully before shifting his sight back at her. "I suppose I'll just have a substitution."

Lucy looked at him in disbelief. "I'm not a bibelot collector, you've come to the wrong person."

"Have I?" Natsu asked, not quite agreeing. "It doesn't have to be a trinket."

"Something's that is valuable both literally and metaphorically to you." He said.

Lucy stared at him blankly, she had never held anything of that sort and the more she thought about it, the more she felt anxious because she didn't own anything of such nature.

Suddenly, her gaze stood upon the green shine of her emerald ring.

The first object she had made with her magic so it held a lot of significance, it showed her how far she had come and how many miles she yet had to cover, kind of hope, . She had charmed it to resize whenever she was in her human form to her fae form and few other powers. Literally, it was embedded in silver so she guessed that would make it worthwhile.

Lucy removed her ring, her reluctance could be felt by Natsu who observed her in fascination.

_What exactly is she doing? _He wondered.

She studied it for a moment before approaching Natsu.

"Your hand." She requested.

Natsu raised his hand only to be gently held by her own, she put the ring on the finger that had the best fit and Natsu wondered if she knew what she was doing. _Maybe the traditions aren't the same in the Fae world,_ he thought.

"I hope I don't see you again." Lucy bluntly stated.

Natsu chuckled as a response, his hand subtly went over her wrist. His obsidian eyes held promise as he whispered something to her before his wings drew out and he flew away just as soon as he had come.

"Lucy," Eclair called out. "Any reason why we had to endure the presence of a filthy dragon?"

"Sit down, it's quite a story."

Eclair wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that.

Noticing Lucy's line of sight. "What's out the window, Lucy?"

"A promise apparently." She replied as she let Natsu's words ring in her head.

_It wouldn't be long before you see me again, little bird._

-•-

"Lucy, your hair has grown," Kinana said, humming to a mystic tune as Lucy looked at its length.

Not that Kinana, her dear friend and professor of Offensive Magic, was wrong, it was quite surprising that Lucy hadn't noticed it before. Her hair had exceeded far beyond its normal tail bone length to mid-thigh length.

"Oh, well. Kinana, would you please braid it? The Ball happens to be today and Eclair, for some reason unknown thinks it's fair for me to go while other interns are quite practically dying to be there."

"Hardly, Lucy. You wanted to be there as well." She replied, taking Lucy's hair before deciding a loop waterfall braid would look pretty on it.

"Umm, yeah before I lured Dragon into campus."

"That wasn't even your fault!"

"Please provide sufficient evidence to prove your point," Lucy said before Kinana thought of another way to make her feel less guilty.

"Prove what though?" Levy asked, coming out of the room in a dazzling blue sheath gown.

Levy had found her essence in Letter magic of ancient Solid scripts but she was yet to graduate to pursue her dreams.

"Levy! You look so beautiful."

"Thank you." She said, tints of blushes colouring her cheek.

"Lucy here, " Kinana continued braiding her hair, "thinks it's her entire fault that the Dragon was lured in."

Levy scrunched her nose up in distaste which in Lucy's opinion generally made her look like a cute pixie. She sat down next to Lucy with a hand resting on her shoulder.

"Lu, I agree you might've been the reason the Dragon came here but hey, you didn't have any control on it. It's not your fault because it wasn't within your control."

"I know, Levy. Believe me, I do but it's difficult to not feel guilty for it." Lucy said.

"Look all I need you to know is that it wasn't your fault, alright hun?"

"Also on the bright side," Kinana added. "At least you got a hot dragon."

"Yeah," Levy said, agreeing as she thought back on it. "I mean I dunno about those scales but he looked deliciously—" Lucy threw a pillow at Levy.

"Get out, you both."

The girls laughed as Levy noticed Lucy's fingers to be more empty than they usually were.

"Lu, where's your ring?"

"Ah, well," Lucy said before explaining her situation.

Levy's face turned one into one of stun, her startled expression was mirrored by Kinana. Lucy almost felt it was as if she had grown three heads in place of one.

"Umm, Lu," Levy said, using the tone Lucy identified as 'cautious'.

"Do you know what giving a ring means in the Dragon culture?" Kinana completed.

"No?" Lucy replied, wondering what kind of trouble had she invited now.

"Dragons hoard treasure, gold bars, silver bracelet, tapestries of the finest threads but rings hold a special significance."

"Why?" She said.

"Because back when the Great War was still happening, remember that the Dragons joined late because they were fighting amongst themselves, there was chaos everywhere in Dragnof. Then, a human appeared, a mage of some sort had helped them settle their differences, pointed out the true traitor and restored unity amongst the Dragon. The human loved their Dragons so much that he wrought from a simple piece of silver, a ring to show how he cherished them. From then on in the Dragnof realm, rings came to be seen as a gift from intimate friends, family or . . .well."

"Well what?" She questioned, hesitantly.

"Or lovers, my dear Lucy," Kinana said.

"It's a symbol of intimacy."

Lucy pressed her lips, no wonder he stared at her so questioningly.

"But wait," Lucy halted. "If the person was a human, how was he a mage?"

"Oh umm, he was mostly from a long lost bloodline of Fae perhaps, that's what most say," Levy said.

"Oh."

Kinana finished braiding her hair and Lucy thanked her before she went to get dressed. The satin midnight blue gown was off-shoulder and beaded with tiny stones along the v-neckline and the end of the gown, before looking and approving the way she looked in the mirror, Lucy adjusted a pearl hairpin at the back of her head.

Briefly, she wondered, _is he going to be there?_

Everyone else had left to the Ball with their invitations and as soon as Lucy touched hers, it transported her to the entrance of the ball. From the ceilings hung Wisterias charmed to bloom aligned with silver twigs which gave away an icy blue shade to the hall shaped like a snowflake, a giant snowflake. It had a warm glow to it mostly due to the white candle flames in corners.

"Lucy, might I add how ravishing you look this evening?" Hibiki said, quite literally popping out of nowhere.

"Thank you, Hibiki. You don't look that bad yourself." She smiled at him.

"Oh, my lady." Hibiki took her hand and kissed it, "what an honour it is to receive a compliment from you."

Lucy smiled uneasily so she shifted the focus to another topic.

"The Winter Ball held by the Pegasus race is rather marvellous."

"Isn't it?" He asked with pride.

Lucy nodded before kindly excusing herself.

"Oh, but do reserve a dance for me, my lady."

Lucy smiled over her shoulder, "Sure, Hibiki."

She continued to walk towards Eclair who had just taken notice of her.

"Hello, Lucy."

"Hey, where's Levy and Kinana?"

"Dancing?" Eclair asked, hinting at their direction.

"By the way, Lucy," She continued, "you do know that the Winter Ball is a social event where all races whether they like each other or not which is why it is mandatory for each member of a race to dance with at least one individual from all races present here."

"Oh, yeah sure. I'll make it a point to dance with every kind—"

"As well as the Dragons."

Lucy bit her lip before she nodded deliberately avoiding looking up to the corner of the hall where the Dragons were.

"May I please have this dance, Miss Lucy?" A person whose name didn't ring her mind asked her out on her first dance, though she did remember he was a creature of the night.

"You may," she courtesied as she was led to the dance floor.

"I'm sorry, this is my first to the Winter Ball, my name's Dorian. I'm not very familiar with many races." He grinned.

"Same, I don't know many except a very few."

"Anyhow, I'm fairly sure you know more of them than I do. I've been sleeping Vampire for a thousand years, quite literally woke up yesterday."

"Oh, that's rather interesting. Did you have a good nap, Mr Dorian?"

He chuckled. "Yes, I did, looks like I'll be awake for a few centuries."

Lucy giggled as she shook her head.

"So do you know anyone from the Siren clan."

"They're bitches who show interest in your life only when it is wartime. Miranda in red on the left, has no guilt about cheating on her best friend with said best friend's boyfriend but it's duly necessary to remember that she always gave shelter to garden gnomes by providing each of them with a kiss so they could breathe underwater and hide from the Goblins during the Great War."

"Oh, wow."

"Yeah, so they might be of questionable character but we all have our perks and flaws."

"That's nice." Dorian appreciated.

"Pegasuses may look dumb but they're really not." Lucy continued. "For example, Hibiki there, might seem like a superficial dumb blond but he really isn't. He's smarter than most people I've met."

"So you see the good in a person if you stay long enough to outlive the bad?"

"Something of that sort." Lucy granted, "However, Goblins and Bloodhounds, on the other hand, I honestly can't find any good in them."

"Understandable, not many in the Vampire community like them either," Dorian added thoughtfully.

Lucy hummed as a response.

"And what about the Dragons over there?" He gestured and Lucy, by force reflex, looked at that side.

Natsu was conversing with Gajeel about a new way to one-up Gray before he felt the urge to look aside and amidst all those that were dancing his eyes followed a pretty blonde wrapped in blue satins.

Lucy looked away which made him more inclined to listen to whatever conversation she and the vampire seemed to be engrossed in.

"Dragons are covetous. Greedy and possessive. They are fire-breathing creatures who know no mercy to faes."

"Mortal enemies?"

"Something of that sort." Lucy said.

". . . but at the same time, Dragons are noble people. They will reward you graciously if they think you deserve it and they might not show mercy to anyone but for their family, they would gladly lay their lives down laughing."

"Have you met any of them, Mi-"

"-Lucy, please." She insisted. "And yes, I have met my fair share of them."

"Oh, do you happen to know umm Natsu Dragneel? They say he is very respected among his kind. Have you met him?"

"Only just." Lucy smiled as their dance ended. "It was a wonderful time spent with you, Dorian."

He thanked her for her time as she left only to be dragged back in by dancing with a Centaur in their human form. And that's how the night went on, every time Lucy thought or even made a move to render her eyes to Natsu's direction, she forcefully stopped herself.

_Okay, old mum, this is ridiculous._ She thought to herself, _maybe just one look wouldn't hurt._

So from the corner, leaning against a pillar, Lucy looked for him in the crowd before her. Not before long, however, the music in the air was the only witness to how their eyes met across the swarm of people. And Lucy didn't look away, in fact, she almost felt like reaching out. She hadn't felt like this in thousands of years, to be this moved by a single glance was not natural to her.

"Lu, have you finished your rounds. God! The people here are so lovely—" Levy stopped herself when she realised her best friend wasn't quite listening, she followed her line of sight and was more understanding of her behaviour.

"You can dance with him if you want to you know. We all do have to dance with a Dragon each." Levy said.

"I already danced with Cobra." She replied, "so my obligation quota is over."

"You've got your mind on him, haven't you?" Kinana asked, raising a brow in Natsu's direction.

"I may have." She responded, and now Lucy didn't know what to do with that information.

"Well, he's been looking at you throughout the ball."

"He—"

"Miss Heartley." Came a voice from behind her, she turned to him.

"It's Heartfilia actually." She corrected, diligently.

"No, can't do. It'll take you a long time to change that." Natsu grinned.

"Fair enough." Lucy smiled.

"Do you think I could indulge you in a dance?"

A moment's thought later.

"Indulge me then."

He led her to the centre of the floor, it must have been the oddest sight ever for a Dragon and a Fae to dance with each other voluntarily.

"I was right then."

"About what ?" Lucy asked as he placed his arm around her to bring her closer.

"About seeing you soon enough."

She hummed in approval.

"And you lied."

Lucy raised a brow at him.

"About hoping not to see me soon enough."

"I meant it in terms of you not stepping unto our school grounds again, you scared the kids good enough."

"For that, I'm sorry, I don't usually think twice before my actions."

"Warrior reflexes?"

Natsu nodded affirmatively.

"Alright, apology accepted."

He twirled her around and gently pulled her closer.

"You're not hostile towards me then." She whispered.

"Not hostile anymore."

Lucy nodded moderately as they danced. They withdrew from each other's embrace.

"Lucy, we need to leave," Levy informed as Lucy returned from her last dance.

"Sure, let's leave," Lucy said, gracefully walking up the staircase. Just before she touched her invite again, she turned to spare a glance at the salmon haired dragon.

Natsu had a smirk playing on his lip as if he was certain she would turn to look at him.

-•-

_"There is joy in the air,_

_daffodils are in their yellow gowns,_

_and Winter has passed again,_

_with the grass to sing its peace anew,_

_Oh, there is joy in the air,_

_for spring has come to stay."_

Young Faes sang many springtime melodies as Lucy smiled, she walked swift and light on her feet as Faes danced their hearts out.

Today was the Imbolc festival, an important landmark to all Faes, for on this day they honoured the goddess of hearth, Brighid. The most popular ritual was to dance and sing till you could drop around fires and warmth.

"Lu, today was so amazing," Levy stated, twirling around.

"Mhmm." Lucy touched all the trees on the path to her cabin in the Wayward woods, blessing them to blossom for the joy of spring. She had quite, ironically, made it her home.

"Say, Lucy, do you happen to remember that Dragon?"

Her hand lay stationary on the trunk of the tree.

"Not as often as I used to,"

Levy looked at her critically.

"I see."

"Is something the matter, Levy?"

"No, nothing. Just that it's funny the way the pair of you looked at each other."

"Why?"

"It seemed, at the Winter Ball, you knew him although you had a short meeting"

"I did."

"You're not getting me," Levy said, twirling a leaf between her fingers.

Lucy plainly rose a brow at her fellow Fae.

"Lucy, I've seen lovers and strangers. The way you held his gaze and he yours was odd."

And if Levy expected a reply, she didn't get one. Lucy bid her goodbye and casted a spell of protection on Levy as she went back to the quarters.

Without further delay, she stepped forward on her porch and if she wasn't as sharp as she was then she would have missed the small stain in the corner.

Lucy crouched to her feet.

"Aotrum." She said aloud and a sphere of light appeared above her.

The stain was red, Lucy touched it and instinctively knew it was blood.

She heard a groan nearby and Lucy cautiously stepped over, the sphere of light ready at hand and an offensive attack on the tip of her tongue.

A deep red wing lay on the ground, trudging towards the figure laid on the dirt of the ground. Lucy's eyes widened in realization.

"Natsu?!" She put her arms around him.

He grunted in pain as she carried him to her house and she laid him on her bed.

His black knee-length trousers were torn and tattered with bruises trailing all over his body, a lacerating scar started deep from his abdomen to his chest. Lucy removed her cloak and rummaged through her potion stores, one that had the root of the evening mistwood. She found the green potion quick enough and rushed back to his side.

Lucy helped him up and before she could bring the potion closer Natsu caught her wrist with tiresome eyes, he stared back at her.

She recognised the look on his face.

"Trust me," she said under her breath.

Natsu nodded subtly as he drank the potion willingly.

She gently put him down before preparing healing herbs and bandages with whatever additional cotton balls and gauze that she could find.

Lucy checked him for any possible black magic but luckily the initial spell she had cast on the Strauss Household had protected him from that harm. She strengthened the spell and wondered what even caused such scars.

Putting medicines and herbal pastes while cleaning the wounds made Lucy realise that it was probably going to be a long night.

-•-

He felt light.

Like he was suspended in midair.

Which rather violently shook him awake.

Natsu groaned in pain as he sat up suddenly, that couldn't have been anywhere good when he was hurt and wrapped in bandages.

_Bandages_? He thought as he looked around, _where the hell am I anyway?_

A cabin, a well-kept one in the middle of lush greenery, in fact, it smelled so much like the residence of a Fae.

And then Natsu remembered.

"Oh, you're up," Lucy said, stepping out of the kitchen in florals.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A few hours now. How do you feel?"

"Tired."

"You need to eat, then. Regain your energy."

"How did I come here?" He asked, confused. Because he remembered falling after he had just finished slaying a hundred Goblins and the next thing he knew was he had tripped over a twig.

"I guess you can thank yourself for that," Lucy said, pointing at the ring. "It's charmed to bring you somewhere safe at the face of losing your life. Speaking of which, who did that to you anyway?"

"You should've seen the other guy."

"This is not a competition, Dragneel." Lucy told him with a very cynical expression.

Natsu arched a brow.

"How did you get hurt anyways?"

"Goblins, there was an army of Goblins planning to poison a group of young Dragons and I'm not very merciful."

Lucy's expression gave away something to him, something that she was hiding from him.

"But you couldn't have been killed by them."

Internally, he found that sentence a very strange statement to make.

"Obviously because I'm pretty strong," Natsu remarked, sarcastically.

"I have no doubt of your power, but I hardly think that's the reason." She muttered to herself, forgetting the exemplary auditory sense of a dragon.

"I did do excessive harm to them." He reasoned.

"It looks like, they did too." Lucy murmured, looking at his wounds.

"Ahh, this is nothing."

"Right." She said as she went back into the kitchen and brought a bowl of porridge. Lucy set the tray on the small table next to him.

"Also, what kind of fire would you like eating?"

Natsu tilted his head to the side, regarding her with amusement. "You'd make a fire for me?"

"Isn't that the best way to heal you right now?" She asked, had she read that wrong in those books?

"You're, well. . .you're right." He shrugged, discouraged.

"Alright, is there a particular fire you like?"

Natsu looked away, asking a dragon what kind of fire they enjoyed was a fairly personal question but it's not like she knew that.

"One made without the use of magic."

Lucy considered this, which would mean the human way. She had never tried to make a fire without magic, Well, she thought, first time for everything. About several attempts of trying to get close to making a fire and almost giving up on the thirteenth one, Lucy steeled her will to do it again and a little spark erupted and in a few minutes a fire, controlled and crackling.

She almost gave in to the idea to bring a chair, a book and a cuppa hot chocolate but shook herself to reality. Leisures could wait, priorities couldn't

Natsu came out on his own, limping a fair bit before Lucy wrapped an arm around his waist, he wondered if she was this helpful generally.

"Huh, didn't think you could make it."

"Well, glad I could prove you wrong, Mr Dragon."

Natsu chuckled at her indignation.

He looked deep into the fire and then at Lucy as he was standing steadily.

"What's wrong?"

"After I finish eating the fires, I generally get very weird. Like hazy."

"Uhh, okay?"

"So you need to charm me to sleep immediately."

Lucy looked at him confused but reckoned he knew himself better.

"Alright. Umm excuse me," Lucy knew he needed his own space, maybe eating the metals or elements they command is a personal thing to them which requires privacy. Besides, she had to strengthen the barriers over her house anyway.

A quarter of an hour later, Lucy came back to the spot she had left him, Natsu was now crouching over the woods that had been burnt to ashes.

His ears perked at her arrival but she was heedless to this or the fact that his wings had reappeared again.

He regarded her in quiet fascination escaped her notice as she approached him carelessly.

"Umm Natsu-" She cut herself short as Natsu stepped into her presence, closer than she had anticipated.

He leaned into her neck, breathing into her scent and revelling at the peace that came along with it. Lucy blinked before she could process what was happening, Natsu draped an arm around her, pulling her closer.

"Wait, Natsu." She bit out as she lightly pushed him away, cupping his face to a distance.

"Snap out of it." Lucy said, "you're not in your right sense."

"Aren't I?" Natsu whispered, ruggedly.

He sunk into the warmth of her hands, gazing at her intently almost as if he was daring her to utter another word about his current self.

"You're too close."

"Are you repelled by it?"

Lucy looked into his eyes, feeling her walls melt in welcome.

"No."

Natsu grinned into her hands, baring his canines casually.

"Good to know."

"But I can't."

She could sense his hurt at her rejection and she flinched.

"Why? I'll be good I swear."

Lucy dropped her hand to his chest, in the purpose of pushing him away but all she could hear was a heartbeat.

"Because you're not in your frame your mind." She said under her breath, in response to which Natsu bent his head to touch hers.

"I'm only at my rawest." His wings wrapped themselves around her protectively.

Lucy sighed in content but she knew within her mind, it wasn't right.

"Dùin d 'inntinn."

And Natsu fell into her arms unconscious. Her eyes loomed over his face, his colour had returned and it seemed like he could walk properly. Another few hours and he would be fit as a fiddle, his scars were already healing except the one on near his abdomen that seemed like it was in for a long run. Lucy left him to sleep on her bed as she went out on her way to the academy, Eclair would be suspicious if she didn't show up as she normally did every morning.

Lucy would wonder if she did the right thing by putting him to sleep because when she returned, he wasn't there at all.

Because when she came back he wasn't there anymore.

-•-

"Natsu!" Erza said, attracting everyone's attention to her line of sight.

He stood unharmed and healed at the doorstep of their house, a little dismayed but all the more healthy.

"Thank Dragnof, you're fine," Mira said, checking him for any injuries.

Gajeel stayed in the corner, leaning against the wall because he suspected that something was wrong. Natsu didn't seem his usual and it was probably what ticked Gray off as well who raised a brow at him in dubiety.

"Well, however it is you managed to survive, I'm glad of it." Erza said before sharpness drew a distinct glare on her face. "But clearly Natsu, you could have waited for the rest of us. Trying to take off a hundred or more Goblins is a death wish especially considering the fact that a war strike from one of those hideous creatures is fatal to Dragon scales. Your anger was right in it—"

"Erza," Laki called out. "Let's not, he's just come home, unharmed."

"Speaking of which," Elfman added as if he was announcing something gravely important. "When was someone supposed to tell me that there's a protective barrier over us?"

That caught all their attention single-handedly.

Gajeel cocked his head to the side in confoundment as Mira narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean, brother?" She asked.

"When Lisanna was fighting a Goblin, she suffered a deep wound. Mira, I almost lost her." He said, shivering at the meaning of that statement. Mira patted his arm lightly in reassurance.

"And so we went to a sorcerer in search of aid and thankfully they did give us aid. The sorcerer said that someone had cast protective barrier spell over our House, which is what prevented us from dying. It was an incredibly powerful spell and no normal mage could even fathom to create it. Especially on such a large number, it's what saved her, Mira, from the arms of death."

Everyone stayed silent for a moment, this was a lot to take in for the worry and throes of fear that had been building from the last week.

"I think," Laki said, with certain tranquillity. "That we all know that we have faced far too much for a week and we could we within our rights to rest for a night and discuss this with a better frame of mind tomorrow morning."

They agreed unanimously and in silence retreated to their rooms. All except Natsu who dropped himself on the chair in the living room, he sight flew to the emerald stone shining on his ring finger.

_"Why? I'll be good I swear."_

_She dropped her hand to his chest, in the purpose of pushing him away but all she could hear was a heartbeat._

_"Because you're not in your frame your mind," Lucy said under her breath, in response to which he bent his head to touch hers._

Natsu wondered what she would do if he was absolutely within his conscious self.

Would she lean in, closer to his heart than his lips or push him away anyway? God, she was such a problematic Fae, he hadn't felt anything close to this for since he could remember taming his fire.

The worst of all, Natsu couldn't figure if it was going to drag him down or hold him steady.

And the protective spell, on the other hand, Natsu had a pretty dependable hunch who could have casted it.

"You're alright."

He looked up at Gajeel. "Seems like it."

"Where were you for a week anyway?" Gray said, crossing his arms

"A week? I was just gone a few hours."

"Where?"

"The Fae—" He stopped himself at that and that made the pair of them look at him curiously.

"Huh, well that certainly explains a few things," Gajeel said, pragmatically as Natsu shook his head in a ditch attempt to salvage.

"No, I was just here and there for a reprieve."

Gajeel looked away sceptically as Gray gave a dubious chuckle. "Alright then. I hope you have a sensible reason to give Erza because saying that you were fraternizing with Faes would not be a good explanation."

"It's not that I could control it. This ring was the reason anyway."

"Speaking of which," Gray said eying it. "Who gave that to you?"

"It was just compensation, can you both get off my back now?" He asked, annoyed.

"Rings are not exchanged for compensation, Salamander. Not from where you are, they're not." Gajeel said, pushing himself off the wall.

"I hope you know what you're doing." He wished him goodnight as Gray looked at him with a brief look of understanding.

Natsu heaved a deep breath in, he needed to sleep before he could mentally prepare himself to deal with both Erza and his father.

The latter who he was more worried about.

Igneel didn't take lightly to his reckless side.

And then, he would pay another visit to the Fae world.

-•-

Kinana wasn't an observant person.

Which simply meant that if she, of all people, noticed a change in behaviour than it sure meant something was wrong. That is exactly what disturbed Levy because it was about Lucy, she seemed upset at something that they didn't have a clue about.

Heck, even her keys felt it.

When they spoke to Loki, the Lion, he explained how all of her keys sensed an odd unsettling feeling in their mistress. Aquarius, the Water-bearer had even gone a mile extra by summoning herself without Lucy's command to understand exactly what in the name of heavens had gone wrong.

Presently, Lucy was researching about Goblins and Trolls. The latter of which had invaded a Quarter in the East. The Faes of that region had to flee for their lives and it almost seemed like a war was coming.

"Umm, Lu?"

"Yes?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

"Uhh, it would," Kinana said, cautiously. "If you didn't sound like you were mad at something Ever had done."

"Speaking of who, how is Queenbee?" Lucy asked, not moving her gaze from the texts.

"Perfectly fine, thank you very much," Evergreen said, appearing from the blue.

"I didn't realise you were here," Lucy said, closing the book.

"Clearly, if you weren't so absorbed in books, you'd actually for a wonder notice what's going around you."

Levy and Kinana felt a storm stirring awake.

"Ever, I genuinely lack the effort and capacity to deal with your face right now." She dismissively waved as she would to a fly.

"Huh, well, Heartfilia you look like you're suffering from boy problems."

Lucy stared at her blankly.

"No girl should ever waste her mind on something as stupid as a boy. Obviously everyone knows that." Evergreen said, opening her fan to wave it around. "But how would you know? Which woebegone creature would ever like you?"

Evergreen's low jabs didn't get to Lucy but the logic in her words did and Lucy found herself appreciating the Green Fae.

"You know what, you're right," she said with a profound sense of realization. "No girl should lose their mind over a person who clearly is probably having a better time than them. Thanks Ever, for someone as hazardously stupid as you, that makes a lot of sense."

Evergreen's jaw dropped but she wasn't sure to appreciate or revolt against the back-handed compliment.

"Okay, I'm leaving. I'll see y'all tomorrow." She said, taking her bag and leaving with a few books.

Watching her retreating figure, Kinana and Levy exchanged a puzzled look.

"Is everything alright with that girl?"

"Honestly, we have no clue, Ever."

Lucy flew to her house instead of walking, her wings dripping in colours of white and gold opened in a rush as she crossed groves and reached the porch of her house.

A series of sounds attracted her attention to the kitchen which made Lucy reconsider her barrier spells.

"You know," Natsu said, eating an apple, "For someone who lives alone, you have a lot of food."

Lucy almost dropped her bag. "How did you get in?"

"Seems like your house recognizes my presence and knows I mean no harm to you."

"Right." She made a mental note to change the words though there was some traitorous part of her that wasn't on the boat with that plan. "More importantly, why are you here?"

"You didn't get my note?" He asked confused.

"What note?" Lucy inquired, suspiciously.

"Uhh the note in which I wrote that I'd be back in a few hours again, I had left it near the vase on the bedside table?"

Lucy recalled a vivid flashback in which out of due frustration she had accidentally destroyed her entire bedroom. Her frustration had been mainly due to a certain someone leaving unannounced, now that she looked back, it was really uncalled for.

"Judging by your expression I'm guessing you didn't find it. That and I bet there's a creative reason why your bedroom has suddenly acquired a new decor."

She flinched at the inferences of the statement.

"God, you're so annoying." She muttered.

"I've been told. Anyway," Natsu said, turning to face her. "You and I need to talk."

"About what?" Lucy said whilst putting her books on the table.

"About how you placed a protection spell over my family."

Lucy almost froze before acting normally. "Ahh yes, I suppose you would figure out."

"Why?"

"Because I felt guilty for taking that badge that Laki gave and realised that I had to perform a good turn unto y'all in some way or the other."

"That so?" He sounded closer.

"Yes," She said, turning around abruptly. Finding him less than a few inches surprised her enough to stumble, he caught her and steadied her to ground.

"You told me that you wouldn't act on whatever it is you were feeling then because I wasn't in the right state of mind."

She raised her head to meet his gaze, this was such a bad idea in all ways possible.

"You're dangerous."

"I am." He assured quietly, grazing his fingers over her cheek.

"This, whatever it is, might destroy both of us to smithereens." She said, certainty ringing in her words.

"I won't care if you don't." He said and whispered. "Let go of your inhibitions, Lucy."

And so she did before closing her eyes as she relinquished any spare sense of thought.

His lips captured hers, they seemed soft and tasted fierce. Lucy ran her fingers through his locks, embracing the warmth that automatically came along with it. A sweet prickle aroused in Natsu's chest as he took in her scent. He could drown to death in it and he wouldn't mind it.

"Lu. Are you there?!" Levy's voice rang through the air.

Lucy broke the kiss in astonishment to which Natsu growled at her.

"Uh, Levy, I'm kinda busy right now. Can you drop by later?" She asked trying as hardest to keep her voice neutral as Natsu leaned into her neck to lightly lick a spot that tested her resilience.

"Oh, are you alright? You sound like you need help."

Natsu let his canines bite the spot of that sweet-tasting flesh.

"I'm fine. . .j-just tired."

"Oh okay, see you later then."

"Yea-yeah."

She left, by the grace of God.

"Natsu." She moaned, her nails digging into his arm. "You're gonna leave a mark I won't want to cover."

"I sure do hope so." He said, grinning begore giving her neck a lasting lick.

Lucy entwined her hand with his as he bent his head to touch hers.

She closed her eyes feeling the sensations brought along.

This felt nice.

-•-

It became a ritual.

Every day at midnight sharp, Natsu would sneak out of the Dragon realm to the Fae world and every single time, Lucy would be waiting for him.

"It's alright if you can't make it here sometimes you know." She said, after listening to his troubled journey to escape Gajeel's keen sight.

"Right. Like either of us would be alright with that arrangement." He replied, hugging her from the back, nuzzling into her hair.

"True." She said, turning around to face him. "But if it's difficult—"

He kissed her.

"For you to—-"

Another kiss.

"Sneak out—-"

Another kiss.

"Natsu!"

He dared her to talk again but she simply sighed. Lucy let her fingers touch the side of his cheek with a softened glow in her brown eyes.

"You're such an idiot."

"An idiot you like." He grinned.

With that, she couldn't argue.

-•-

"Hey, so what is your name?"

Lucy looked at him in utter disbelief.

"Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia."

"Lucy Heartfilia," Natsu said, liking the way it sounded on his tongue. "It sounds nice."

Lucy looked at him with a fond expression before shaking her head. "Idiot."

-•-

She had to take a deep breath.

Lucy wasn't scared just a bit surprised. Natsu had wanted her to take him to a more secluded spot in the Woods which she did find, far into the trees and away from her own house. Though the need of it eluded her.

"Alright, don't run." He had joked before the transformation.

Into a full-sized dragon of red hues and powerful scales.

"So you were the red dragon at the beginning of it all huh?" She smiled, coming closer to touch the tip of his nose, a low guttural sound affirmed her.

"I've got something to show you too." Lucy declared before calmly pulling her long hair in front.

Golden and white wings of soft feathers drew out from her back, in pure light, they stretched out with grace. Her tattoos lined all across her body twirling around the celestial symbols of the stars in runes as her wings turned into the colour of the night sky with a million stars upon them.

Her true Fae form.

"The runes symbolise the kind of magic one has." She explained.

The dragon looked at her curiously.

So you command the Celestial skies? He asked, telepathically communicating with her.

"I just command a few spirits that's it." She said nervously at his overestimation.

He didn't seem convinced but decided to leave the topic resilient, Natsu looked up to the skies.

"You want to fly with me?" Lucy asked, raising a brow.

"Think you could keep up with me?" She challenged playfully.

Natsu grinned at her.

One who reaches the clouds first wins.

"See you at the finish line." Lucy leapt into a flight.

In the end, Natsu won. Lucy accounted for it to his experience with flying.

"You just don't wanna admit that I won."

"Shut up."

-•-

"Why do you think they hate each other?" Lucy asked, curiously one day as Natsu prepared to leave before the dawn.

"Who?"

"Dragons and Faes."

"I don't know, I've asked around to track down the reason," Natsu said, running his fingers through her hair. "But it really just seems like a petty feud."

"It seems very baseless."

"I know right?" He agreed.

"Do you think they'll accept us?"

"I don't think I can have it any other way. We might be ousted from society." He replied, feeling her disappointment.

"Huh, I never expected to be remotely close to the title of a star-crossed lover," Lucy said, pouting as she thought over it.

"I mean you do command the stars."

That earned him a slap against his arm which was countered by a loose chortle.

"Also, I should be leaving, Mira was looking for me for three days ago."

"Natsu, wait!" She said and he halted immediately at her request.

Lucy cupped his face before kissing his forehead.

"You take care alright?"

Natsu looked at her in strange wonder. "Lucy, I'm going to be fine."

"I know, I know what you mean." She said, "But it just felt like something I should do."

Lucy looked up to him, cupping his cheek and memorizing the way he felt.

"Go."

He conceded before dispersing like light and it was as if no one was ever there.

Lucy felt her home dim in its warmth. She missed him already.

When Natsu returned home, he was taken into patrolling duty of the Northern Hills by Erza, he internally whined at the sound of it. That meant he wouldn't be able to see Lucy for a week or hell more. Who the hell was even responsible for arranging this? He thought, agitated.

"That would be Sol," Lisanna replied. Natsu looked at her in blatant confusion, did he say that aloud?

Taking into his expression she laughed, "Yes Natsu, you pretty much said that aloud."

"Oh, well." He shrugged.

"So," Lisanna said, "you're breaking a lot of hearts it would seem."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh yes, you are." Laki agreed as she walked in with Mira.

"Uh, how exactly?" Natsu questioned, crossing his arms.

"Natsu! Quit hiding it!" Lisanna said, slapping his arm lightly. "We know you're courting someone. C'mon, out with it."

He stared at his childhood friend, pretending to still not have a clue about it.

"Really, though." Misa smiled. "We never thought you would be the courting kind but thank life for little surprises."

"But it really is a beautiful ring. Gajeel said that it was in compensation but honestly which dragon does not know that rings are courting gifts?" Laki asked as the others agreed with her.

Natsu shifted his feet with a little bit of anxiety.

"So who is the mystery girl?" All three dragoness surrounded him with no escape.

"Umm, you've met her."

"Her is it? And?"

Laki noted the obvious reluctance in his features.

"Alright," she said, "if you can't tell us who she is, tell us what she's like."

That was a comparatively easier, he could think about Lucy for hours.

"She's. . ." He said searching for that one word, ". . .bewitching."

"Compassionate, strong and clever. Too clever for her own good." Natsu said, feeling her scent flood through his heart.

"One has to be if they're dealing with you."

Natsu chuckled before thinking of her. "She's beautiful and stubborn but she''s fierce, fiercer than any dragon I've ever seen. I could go to war beside her."

"She sounds wonderful."

"She is." He affirmed with a smile, wondering she was doing at the moment.

"I don't know what I'd do without her, I'm missing a part of me when I'm not with her." He grinned before raising his feet and understanding that Erza would kill him if he didn't leave right now. "I'll see y'all soon enough."

Mira looked at her sister and friend with an astound expression, "I've never seen him this way."

"Do you think she's his mate?" Lisanna asked.

Laki furrowed her brows. "A soulmate for a dragon is a very difficult love to handle, Lisanna. If that person is his soulmate then it means they will go through a long line of sufferings before they can finally be together."

"But they do right? In the end?" Lisanna asked, worried for her comrade.

Mira looked away. "It doesn't always work like that. It might be a long process of intolerable pain even then they do not meet and only death, they unite."

Mira had a sinking feeling about this and it was echoed all the same in Eclair when she suddenly dropped all her papers.

She had a vision.

And it involved Lucy in great pain, blood gushing out as if she had been fighting too long.

She snapped out of it before sending a prayer out earnestly.

_Protect us, my Queen,_ Eclair hoped to the voice that listened.

-•-

Natsu was bored.

Look he liked the Northern Hills and all but seeing trees which weren't surrounding a cabin that housed one's partner simply made him long for her.

He was flying around the territories which he had done for the past three days.

Natsu saw something in the shadow of his wings and he narrowed his eyes at the dark figure but its scent reached him swiftly and he widened his eyes.

He landed on the ground immediately, letting in his human form.

"Lucy!" He said pleasantly surprised and little afraid.

She ran to him as he welcomed her in his arms, picking her off the ground.

"I missed you." She replied, kissing his forehead.

He hugged her like he felt he was going to lose her, thanking his creator for having someone that made him feel so.

"Why would you do that? Why would you come somewhere so dangerous? Why would you do that?" He called out, worry in his voice and fear in his eyes.

"You did every day."

"Faes aren't as merciless as dragons. You could've been killed." Natsu said.

"I didn't care. I needed to see you, I'm sorry—-"

He kissed her.

When they broke, Natsu embraced her before remembering.

"I have something for you." He said, reaching out to his pocket to acquire a locket he had wrought in the forges.

In two silver strands twisted around each other to reach a red crystal upon which had been stamped an insignia.

"Every Dragon is born with a symbol and it is meant only for their most cherished." He said, looking at it before his eyes found her. "And I would give it to you if you'll have me."

"Am I really worthy of it?"

"I would find no use of it if it isn't your neck that adorns it." He returned earnestly.

"Would you?" She asked him to put it on her and it gently sat below her collarbone.

"You should know though. Dragons tend to be very possessive, not really something I can help."

"And by that you mean?"

"That you taking my insignia should scare off the other dragons with any other underlying motive to approach you. If it doesn't of course," He said with a streak of proprietorial tone. "I will."

She laughed at his dragon side and Natsu knew it in that instant, that the fae in his arms was his fire.

"When I am down on my knees, " he said.

". .I will carry you." Lucy completed, bending her head as they entwined their fingers. They held each other as the inhabitants of the forest sang in witness to their union.

Perhaps even they knew what was coming.

* * *

I like the fact that Lucy was unwittingly courting Natsu without having any clue of it. That point was hilarious to me.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Part III**_

| • • • • |

A war broke out.

Between Dragons and Goblins, it appeared that they had attempted to take away the life of King Igneel who was now critically injured, the crown prince, Zeref Dragneel declared war on Goblins and each of its allies but they really were at the losing side because there was a traitor among the Dragons, Sol his name was apparently, had divulged in insider information to bring downfall and Chaos over Dragnof.

When the war was declared, all creatures that were not Dragons disappeared from Dragnof to their respective lands which is why Lucy was snatched away from Natsu arms and a second later, they felt the loss in a foreboding sense.

Eclair hadn't been visited by Lucy but a note was delivered to her at the dead of night.

"Thank you, Vera."

"Anytime, Headmistress."

She opened the sealed envelop as removed the note.

In elegant cursive was written,

_Left for the royal kingdom. Won't know when I'll return. Take care, bye._

She merely blinked at the notions that presented itself.

What. In. Heavens.

-•-

Natsu fell to his feet behind his cover for safety.

He was brutally injured, it's what happens if one fights for three days without rest and he knew he needed to sleep or recuperate in some means or the other. Lucy's protective spell could go only go for so long, his gaze dropped to the emerald ring shining through the dark.

If this war was to kill him, he just hoped Lucy knew he would never stop loving her, he regretted not telling her that in the first place.

He groaned as he accidentally put pressure on his wound.

"Natsu!" Gajeel came through, strong on his feet.

"Are you alright?"

"Debatable."

"Jeez, what kind of idiot charges into battle for three days without any resources?"

"I reckon someone like me."

Gajeel rolled his eyes, being helped to this feet, Natsu wondered how long it would be until the war was over.

And he lost sight of everything as the world turned black.

-•-

Zeref sat down on the chair, alone in the war cabinet room, staring at the entire map of Dragnof. Clay models of Dragons were dotted all over it but they were now accompanied with tiny specks of dirt models which were Goblins. Moving anywhere would be a blunder.

He furrowed his brows in tension.

Perhaps, the main army could be moved eastwards. He thought as he moved the red clay models to that direction.

"That would be a blunder." a voice registered.

"How so, Erza?"

"Moving eastwards would allow a link-up of the opposite forces of the West and South, therefore, closing in on the Centre. They would easily pillage the capital and it would swift victory after they capture your castle. Checkmate, then." The voice replied as he considered her remark.

"Oh and I'm not Erza."

His eyes snapped up to see a blonde-haired girl, her hair reaching to her ankles with a fair crown on her pretty head.

"Hello," She smiled politely. "I'm Mavis Vermillion, the Fae Queen."

Taken aback by her politeness which the situation oddly didn't demand and her designation, Zeref merely raised a brow. "The borders are-"

"-Strong? Yes, they are strong, just not strong enough to deny a Queen but don't worry I fixed them as soon as I entered." She grinned.

"Why are you here?" He asked, carefully. He had heard marvellous tales about the mischievous Fae Queen, never had he thought he'd see her in the flesh.

Mavis lifted her head, taking in a critical analysis of the man in front of her.

"I have a proposal,"

"Which is?"

She smiled.

"A wartime alliance between Faes and Dragons."

-•-

"This eludes me. Why are we to fight a war on their behalf?" Evergreen argued, protectively over the fate of her race.

"Because if one race falls than the rest of us fall as well," Lucy responded calmly.

"Do you think Faes would be safe from Bloodhounds and Goblins as they hurt the nation of Dragons? Who do you think would be next on their list? Do you really want another Great war?"

Everyone stared at Lucy who had been outrightly spoken of Faes joining the fight.

"Whoa Whoa. Hang in there, firebird." Evergreen said, furrowing her brows at Lucy's defence. "Why are you so in favour of those lizards?"

"Because I've met a few of them and they were genuinely nice people if we made an effort now to remove this prejudice between the Fae and Dragon community then it's gonna cost both race, so, please. Participate in this war."

The Faes around her, both old and new felt uncertain of this request made by Queen Mavis, what if it cost Faes half their population? But what if it caused the beginning of another Great war?

With Faes, there would be many other allies like the Sirens, Vampires, Werewolves, definitely Centaurs and perhaps Sorcerers as well.

"Please, I implore you," Lucy said aloud in the crowd, "help."

The days would bleed to lengths into night time until most Faes would finally pick their defence armours and staffs to fight along the side of their sworn enemies against a common detriment.

-•-

Lucy looked at the mirror before she would head out for war.

She clutched her necklace as she stared at her reflection and almost felt Natsu right next to her.

"When this is over." She spoke solemnly to the winds listening. "I promise I'll find you," Lucy kissed it before breathing deeply again.

And to war, she went.

-•-

Natsu blasted a whole trail of Goblins as he sunk in warrior reflexes.

"Fire dragon roar!"

That took out the last of them in the fields, those who were still alive were taken as prisoners back to the camp. The changes in the past few years were astonishing as the Faes joined them in War. What brought this change? He didn't know but if he knew Lucy half as much as he did then, she was out here fighting for the Dragons, fighting for him.

As poetic as it was, he hoped for her well-being.

Battlegrounds were no place for Faes, they were creatures of light really.

"Natsu Dragneel." A Goblin called out from the cages at the centre of the camp, he ignored its call.

"You have a wonderful maiden for yourself." It gnawed out through its teeth.

Gajeel stopped working with Freed, a Rune Fae ass everyone's attention dragged to the centre of the camp to Natsu who turned to face the Goblin.

"What?" Natsu asked, a spark of annoyance growing in him.

"The one with your insignia, silly Dragon. She's pretty blonde thing isn't she?"

He closed his palm in a fist and Gajeel recognised that as a warning to a very angry Dragon.

"She slew brothers of mine on far south just a month back. Quite a fiesty bitch you've got eh, Dragon?"

There were two things that came to Natsu's mind, first being relief that she was alive, he thanked his stars that she was still fighting.

And Second?

Pure blinding rage.

"I wanted to touch her and see how she—

Natsu opened the cage and dragged the Goblin out of it by the neck, he lifted it up with absolute wrath snaring out of his eyes and Gajeel knew death was on his lips.

"Why don't you try and say something about her again?"

"Like what—

The Goblin wailed in pain when he opened his mouth smoke drew out of it. His tongue had been burnt into ashes.

"You know I could kill you right now with no remorse whatsoever," Natsu said casually as he threw the Goblin on the ground.

"But she wouldn't want me to."

He crouched down.

"So the next time you think of her, remember exactly why you can't speak anymore."

Natsu got up to his feet before the Goblin was shut back to his cage.

Freed, who by far was appalled at this demonstration, looked towards Gajeel.

"Your commander-in-chief is very protective."

"I'm surprised Natsu didn't torture him to death instead. God, he must be crazy for whoever that girl is."

"Yes, surely enough to burn someone's tongue for it, that's barbaric." Freed protested. "There's a quality in exercising control."

Dragons around him laughed in chorus.

"Word from the wise, Freed, Dragons have no susceptibility to an insult against themselves," Gajeel said as a part of his face turned sharp iron, Freed backed away immediately.

"What makes you think they'd bear a word against their family?"

-•-

Lucy rested on the bed, her right arm had been severely hurt and her magic had been exhausted.

She had been bandaged everywhere, fighting with magic for days with keeping one or the other gate open had drained her and now demanded rest.

Lucy tried to sit up but was helped by a nurse to do so, a pillow was placed behind her for a proper backrest.

"You're a Fae." The Dragon took into account.

"And so I am."

"Why're you fighting it? The war?" She asked as she sat down, her blue hair tied in a neat bun.

"I want it to be different." She said, nostalgically, " And because I'm scared for my kind, for yours and for him."

The nurse cocked her head to the side as she tried to comprehend. "You have a lover who is of the Dragon race?!" She asked surprised with eyes wide.

"Yes, a man. An annoying man albeit." Lucy smiled, remembering Natsu's ridiculously pink hair and how they felt when she first kissed him.

"Oh well, th-that's a surprise, do you know how he is?"

"Haven't heard from him since the war started."

"Goodness me, that would be seven years. How are you surviving?"

"With the hope that I'll see him on the other side," Lucy responded, eyes softening.

"And if you die?"

"Then it will be with his name on my lips."

The Dragoness was taken aback. "Just how in love are you?"

"Enough to know that my heartbeat is in line with his."

The Dragoness simply stared in shock before excusing herself to the kitchens.

"Wendy?" Erza called her out.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if—" Erza cut herself off, frowning at the little one's disposition. "Is everything okay, Wendy?"

"Erza, if you love someone you're supposed to hate, is that their sin or a crime against the law that supposes you to hurt them?"

"A pretty tricky question. But perhaps then you know that your love, by all means, is pure. Why'd you ask?"

"Nothing, I just met someone who made me think that way."

-•-

It was over.

_Finally_, Gajeel thought, he wasn't a fan of blood and fighting no matter what his race suggested.

The skies look cleared of red clouds and the white hues returned. The Fae clan had helped the whole lot of them which surprisingly made even the most orthodox dragons come out of their shell to appreciate them. Even if it was done grudgingly.

Igneel personally thanked Mavis Vermillion, Queen of Faes and grinned at her when she said that they were welcome to visit.

"You think he's gonna take her up on that?" Zeref asked as the helpers draped his robes round.

Natsu grinned, "He might take you and visit the Fae world."

"It's not that I mind but Mavis—

"You're on first-name basis?"

" I meant Queen Vermillion of the Faes," he quickly corrected himself.

"Brother, " Natsu asked critically as he entertained that spare doubt in his head. "Do you have a crush on the Queen of Faes?"

"Can you not put it that way?!"

Natsu laughed joyfully at how much like a beetroot his brother could resemble.

"C'mon we need to leave, this ball is for the victory of the Dragons, and celebrations of a fruitful alliance," Zeref said as he opened the doors.

They appeared at the entrance of the stairs and descended as royals of the Dragon race.

"Natsu! Zeref!" Wendy said cheerfully as she jumped into their arms.

"She called my name first, she likes me more, Zeref." Natsu bragged as his brother shook his head.

"Shut up."

"Can't believe I actually faced a war in my lifetime," Gajeel said.

"Igneel face two of them. He's been gloating about it since the morning it ended." Erza laughed in reply.

"Well, I can't believe that Faes actually helped us. They're pretty nice folks, most of them are quite decent." Gray added as Mira nodded in agreement.

"Yeah most of them are there around the corner, " Laki stated, pointing.

Natsu looked around for a familiar blonde but he couldn't find her scent, his heart sank deep.

"Brother, are you alright?" Zeref asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I need some air." He snuck out of the hall into the balcony which earned more worry from his brother.

The doors opened to greet a few more Faes, the ones who were most honoured to their efforts in the war.

Gajeel blinked in recognition.

"Bunny girl." He pointed out at Lucy draped in a tea-length velvet dress burning in colours of fiery red.

"That's Lucy Heartfilia." Zeref informed. "One of the most powerful Faes to exist. Partly, the reason why Mavis was willing for an alliance for the first place."

"Beg pardon?" Laki asked as Mira mirrored her image.

"She convinced most Faes to fight and contributed a lot to the war." Zeref stated before recalling. "Do you remember the Seige of the Westward Summer Palace?"

"The one that had almost fallen to the hands of the Goblins?"

"Yes, she's the one who led the army of Faes and Dragons. Quite a clever Fae really, though I've never personally met her."

"We have," Gajeel, Mira and Laki said together out of scepticism.

"So has Salamander, he even went to the Fae world twice to retrieve a trinket that she had stolen from him."

Zeref raised a brow, "Well that sounds like a tale to tell during dinner."

Natsu came back to Zeref's side in the hope of launching a search team for his dear fae and he felt a scent in its faintest reach his senses.

Natsu gasped for the air as though he had been drowning.

"Brother?" Zeref said, slightly over concerned.

"Where is she?" Natsu asked, searching wildly for her in the horde of people as his heartbeat sped.

He found her, at the centre of the hall putting her hand on her chest as if to calm her heart down.

Lucy looked up and felt deja vu recur.

Across the sea of people, their eyes met.

And they fell in love all over again.

"Excuse me." She said, turning away from a conversation as she waded through tides of people.

Possessed, Natsu merely pushed people out of his way as he made his path to her.

When the people grew less, Lucy sprinted into his arms and Natsu picked her up to the skies and twirling her around before engulfing her in a hug.

"Natsu." She cried out locked in a tight embrace before he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Natsu Dragneel."

"I love you too, Luna Heartley."

Lucy giggled through a teardrop.

"That's not going away anytime soon, is it?"

"You bet." He said before capturing her lips, relief flooded through his veins. She was real, not a figment of his tired imagination, she was here in his arms, safe.

Lucy smiled through the kiss.

I_'ve been missing a piece of me for so long_, she thought as they broke and he rested the tip of his head.

They were home. Finally.

Lucy remembered a detail from her memory.

"By the way, at what point were you supposed to tell me that you're the Prince of the Dragon realm."

"Uh well, about that," Natsu said, sheepishly. "I think we have a lot to explain for." He gestured towards everyone staring at them.

Lucy groaned. She wasn't about to take the burden of dealing with her friends and everything else when she just reunited with the love of her life.

"Can we hold it off until tomorrow morning?"

Natsu raised a brow.

"I'm game but how're you gonna avoid them right now? I can see your folks and mine teaming up for a roasting session."

"Take my hand," Lucy said.

He held it and then thoughtfully looked at it.

"You know I'm never letting you go right?"

Lucy smiled, "I'm glad."

And they disappeared from the Hall at once.

_The End._

* * *

I just divided one chapter into three because some of my reviewers pointed out that reading an 18k+ words chapter is kinda not very favourable. And I agreed. So here we are.


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